Rufus William Gosnell

AIKEN - Mr. Rufus William Gosnell, 94, died Tuesday, December 8, 2009. Funeral services will be held at 2:30 PM Sunday at First Baptist Church, Aiken. Reverend Dr. Fred Andrea III will officiate. The family will receive friends in the church parlor following the service. A private interment will be held at 12:45 in Aiken Memorial Gardens. Honorary pallbearers will be members of Palmetto Golf Club, the Downtown Coffee Club and the Tyler Sunday School Class. Mr. Gosnell was born August 11, 1915 in Greenville, South Carolina. He was the son of the late Holly Veal Gosnell Hamby and William P. Gosnell. He graduated from Parker High School in Greenville and later attended the University of South Carolina and finished several banking schools at the University of South Carolina and UNC in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He and his wife Aurie were married in 1936 and temporarily settled in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He was active in the insurance and real estate business. He was the leading insurance agent for Pilot Life – Greensboro Life. He was a partner owner in several restaurants and later owned a furniture business: Gosnell Furniture Company. Mr. Gosnell became very active in the civic community. He served on the Spartanburg City Council for over three years and served as President of the Spartanburg Chamber of Commerce. He was also elected President of the Spartanburg Optimist Club for two years. Mr. Gosnell was in the Army Air Force during WWII as an intelligence specialist in the 92nd squadron of the 439 GP Headquarters of the 9th Air Force serving under General Eisenhower. He received the European African Middle Eastern Service Metal with one Silver Star and Two Bronze stars. He served in campaigns in Normandy and Northern & Southern France and Central Europe. He later became very active in the VFW serving as State Commander and as Campaign Chairman for the National Commander – Jimmy Cothran of SC. He served as vice Chairman of the National Legislative Committee of the VFW. In 1953 he, his wife Aurie, and his daughter Resel moved to Aiken South Carolina to become the Shell Oil Distributor of Aiken and Edgefield counties under the name of Gosnell Distributing Co. He initially provided all the oil and gasoline to Kolinski Contract Co, who built the Savannah River Plant for the U. S. Government in the early 1950’s. He later became Chairman of the National Legislative Committee of the S. C. Oil Jobbers Association. Mr. Gosnell became involved in the Banking business serving on several boards and buying controlling interests. He then became Chairman of the Board of First State Bank in Jackson, South Carolina. He later changed the Bank to a National Bank and built offices in Jackson, Beech Island, Saluda, and Belvedere. The bank was later sold to First Citizens of NC and SC. He was also Chairman of the Board of 1st State Bank in Marshallville, Georgia. While in the banking business Mr. Gosnell was presented the First outstanding small businessman of the year Award from the National Council for Small Business Management Development Corporation. This was a National Organization consisting of over 400 Colleges and Universities. The University of South Carolina was a member and nominated Gosnell for the award. Mr. Gosnell was later elected as president of the National Small Business Association serving for two years. This association had its headquarters in Washington DC. He remained very active in civic activities in Aiken, serving as director of the Lions Club, President of the Aiken Chamber of Commerce and President of the Aiken Shrine Club. He was also a past-exhaled ruler of the Elks Lodge as well as Vice President of the SC Shriners of Charleston, SC. Mr. Gosnell was a member of the First Baptist Church since moving to Aiken in 1953. Prior to that date he was a member of First Baptist Church in Spartanburg. He was a devoted husband of over 70 years to Aurie Gosnell who passed away in June 2009 and a wonderful father to Resel Gosnell Bourne his only child. He adored his great grandchildren and also the children of his nieces and nephews who were treated as grandchildren as well. He was predeceased by three brothers and their wives: Joseph Dillard Gosnell of Columbia, SC (Dot), Lawrence Elizie Gosnell of Conway, SC (Lib), Silas Emit Gosnell, of Spartanburg, SC (Emily). Also predeceased by Sisters-in-Law and their husbands: Dora and Art Rich of Aiken, Beulah and Ray Splawn of Spartanburg, Nell and Frank Pavese of Chester, Darice and John Parker of Chapel Hill NC, and niece Patsy Gosnell Russell of Lexington. He is survived by his daughter, Resel G. Bourne and son-in-law John Bourne of Columbia; granddaughters Rebecca Pope (David) of London, Kentucky, Catherine Marshall (Bill) of Columbia, and six great grandchildren; nieces Aurie Richardson of Lexington, SC, Kay Rich of Columbia, SC, Jacquie Corley (Wayne) of Columbia, SC, Susan Morris (Terry) of Chester, SC; nephews, Larry Gosnell (Connie) of Spartanburg, SC, Bill Gosnell (Judy) of Surfside Beach, SC, Buzzy Rich (Sallye) of Aiken, SC, Scott Parker of Chapel Hill, NC, Steve Pavese (Raynette) of Chester, SC. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Baptist Church, P. O. Box 3157, Aiken, South Carolina 29802-3157. Mr. Gosnell's online guest book may be signed at www.shellhousefuneralhome.com Shellhouse Funeral Home, Inc., 924 Hayne Ave., Aiken, SC To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Rufus William Gosnell, please visit our flower store.